New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-28
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
THE SLUNG SHOT ON THE SEAS.

HOW MASS OF DYNAMITE AT THE END OF
ROPE is TO BLOW UP THE EUROPEAN NA'iEs
WASHINGTON Feb. 81 tSpeeiab.-Americah ih'e"u'o
genius has produced startling results put IL never
took more daring flight than that OF adapting Tue sns
shot TO naval warfare. plan for attack on the heh
seas ia reav in existence model being exhibition
~ ,he rooms OF the Naval Committee OF the House. and
is seriously approved by many able ohcers here winch
is practically the sinking OF ironcad with dynamite
slupg shot II Is essentially American Idea death
grappe close quarters, with no spectacular ELECTS no
cometlke shells torpedo water spous 1t is the latest
modification of General Berdans system which has here
tofore been fully and exclusively described In IHE
TRIBUNE.
The recent experiments Europe where It took 300
pounds OF dynamite to shatter 2Oinch armor plate
when exploded beneath the waters surface and
the failure of Whitehead torpedo TO disable gnnboat
when dashed is side and exploded have shaken the
faith of the officers the efficiency of torpedoes when ex
poe near the water line More than that the nets now
used seem to offer mpenetrabe bar to the surface tor
pedo by their failure in the great trial at Banty
Bay two years few days ago the department re-
ceived from Whitehead a refusal to compete In pros
poctve trial here saying do not pretend TO conquer
the nets"
General Berdans idea Is to strike at the bottom OF the
ship where there is 10 and where the explosive is
confined by the pressure OF the water He builds ight
unarmored cruiser OF $50 feet length and 10 feet da
Men and machinery all below the water nc anu .e
enemys ironclad blaze away all she wants 10 AS tue
swift cruiser creeps mp her Pointing over the sue
Of the Berdan cruiser emdships and to the rear are
loading guns that can be inclined NJ
any angle from the horizontal to nerpendcary uoWn
ward In the guns placed shells containing 500 or
400 pounds of cotton. wire cable, or snuophR
cord extends from the she'll out of tho mouth OF me
gun and along the side OF the cruiser TO the bows where
II so fastened swing freely he cruiser steams
rapidly up the big roncad preferably in the night;
but in broad daylight regardless OF an occasional
that may through her upper works She pushes
through the nets and when the twent -hve.ioot spar
projecting from her bows touches the ironciad me en-
zine automatically reversed and rocket material
in the back the dynamite shell ignitcd The shell drops
from muzzle the which Is pointed downwau
and plOws down through the water on the circumference
of circle whose radius is the length OF its snnbblng cora
and whose centre Is the bow OF the cruiser when
actual contact between cruiser and iron CLAD oc-
cur the shock is relieved by an atmospheric puncr
The shell comes up the bottom OF the irOncal
like sluug shot on the head OF beated wayIarer' ana
something is ant 10 he smashed ,,
AS there are a number Of these guns and shells on caon
cruisers they NAV be fired al different angles rom
the perpendicular and will strike nj different points along
the bottom of the iron-cad This Is regarded as an I'M
porfant point with the cellular ships now putt u Is
doubtful II one torpedo however powerful. can SINK
big ironclad If ronclad sends out torpedo boats
against the cruiser they will he met by inroved tlsh
torpedoes operated from the latter The cruisers woud
cost about 500 600 apiece and they fulh the expec
the officers and the inventor Trey wOud seem
solve the problem OF the cheap defence OF NaoS'